Computers have been coupled with golf simulation devices for some time. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,526, to Yasuda et al., discloses a golf trainer including a plurality of electromagnetic sensors to detect the passage of a golf club head and calculate the head velocity, swing orbit, face angle and ball carry. The golf trainer also includes a device to display specific information calculated from the club swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,406, to Cromarty, discloses a golf training apparatus including infrared sensors that detect the passage of a golf club head between them and a source of infrared radiation. The apparatus also calculates swing parameters, displaying them alphanumerically on a television display, a graphic representation of the direction of the swing also being displayed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,967, to O'Leary et al., discloses a training device using a pair of video cameras to record a student's golf club swing from behind and from the side of the student. A video overlay generator receives the live images and combines them, while in their video signal format, with a corresponding set of self-generated template images that represent, in static outline form, the dynamic technique of a master in the desired situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,927, to O'Leary et al., discloses a training device including a target screen upon which an image of a golf hole is projected. The device detects club angle and determines therefrom a resulting slice or hook and displays the ball path using a spotlight generated by a tracer.
While the prior techniques function with a certain degree of efficiency, none disclose the advantages of the improved computer-based, interactive sports training system of the present invention as is hereinafter more fully described.